Share this article

The oppositional right-wing Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) has criticized the government's decision to nominate Johannes Hahn from the conservative People's Party (ÖVP) as EU commissioner for Regional Policy.

The FPÖ's Spokesman for Foreign Policy Johannes Huebner rebuked Hahn for his support of the boycott policy against the Hungarian government.

However, despite further criticism by the Greens and the liberal NEOS, Hahn was nominated on Friday in parliament with the votes of the Social Democrats (SPÖ) and the ÖVP.

During his political career, the 56-year-old Hahn had worked his way steadily up in the ÖVP in the 1980's and 90's. In 1996 he entered the Vienna City parliament, and in 2003 became a city councillor without portfolio. He was meanwhile chairman of the board of "Novomatic AG" until joining the city council.

From June 2005 Hahn was head of the ÖVP in the City of Vienna. In October the same year, his party placed second in Vienna elections, but far behind the ruling Social Democrats. In 2007 Hahn was sworn in as Federal Minister of Science and Research, until he became EU Commissioner in the second Barroso Commission in 2010.

Hahn, who is married and has one son, has successfully battled cancer. He sees himself as a liberal-conservative. "I stand for modern life-feeling, humane urbanity, and for openness and freedom in politics and society."